Avengers: United We Stand
by TheLycanKing
Summary: The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the Multiverse.


Somewhere in the void of space, the Statesman, which was carrying a massive crowd of Asgardian civilians, warriors and soldiers of the Einherjar, and rebels of the Warbound that were successful in overthrowing the Grandmaster, suddenly came across a massive warship called the Sanctuary II, which was under the command of the deadly warlord Thanos, a Titanian who plans to eliminate half of life across the universe. but not just on this universe, but every other within the Multiverse. Many civilians were in a panic while those who were not were trying to calm them down.

Korg and Miek were busy taking care ofthe engines due to their skills in engineering. The former Valkyrior Milla, who was once worked as bounty hunter on Sakaar, earned the respect of the people of whom she saved moments before Asgard was destroyed by Surtur, the mighty Fire Giant of Muspelheim. Despite losing her sisters to Hela and how the prophecy was fulfilled, Milla wasn't risking to lose her people and friends, now that Thanos and his Black Order have found them in the middle of space.

Milla quickly rushes to the bridge to meet with Thor, Heimdall, Loki, Yondu Udonta, and Hulk, who were all staring at the sight of horror of the Sanctuary II that was firing directly at the Statesman, trying to weaken the shields. It was only a matter of time before Thanos and his children would board that ship and massacre anyone they see. Thor refused to let his people suffer at the mercy of Thanos, but since he didn't have Mjølnir, which was destroyed by his half-sister Hela, he had to think of a way to face Thanos.

"Thor, the shields will not last for long," Heimdall informed.

"He's right, its only a matter of time before that big purple pr*** shows up," Yondu agreed.

"Then will have to motivite that," Thor huffed, keeping his anger locked inside, for he once had a face off against Thanos and almost beat him in combat for attempting to invade Vanaheim. He quickly turns to Milla. "Milla, try and contact someone. See if anyone is not far to get the message."

"We maybe too late for that, Thor," Milla stated.

"Its the risk we have to take," Thor said. "I saved my people from Ragnarök. I will not lose them to Thanos."

Milla sighs in annoyance to this, but complys to her king's command. She rushes over to a corner and tries to contact anyone from a nearby system, hoping they can get the message. "This is the Asgardian refugee vessel Statesman. We are under assault, I repeat, we are under assault. We still have enough power, but our engines our failing. Life support will fail as well. Requesting aid from any vessel within range. We are 22 jump points out of Asgard. Our crew is made up of Asgardian families, we have many soldiers, warriors, mercenaries, and rebels. This is not a warcraft. I repeat, this is not a warcraft!"

Yondu turns to stare at Thor and could tell that the King was thinking a plan. "You know, I can tell by the look of your face that you plan."

"Its a plan alright, but its a dumb one," Thor answered.

"Brother, what are you going to do?" Loki asked.

"I'm going to confront Thanos," Thor scoffed. "I'll try to stall him as much as I can while you all have enough power to jump out and warn anyone about him. The time has come."

"You kidding?" Yondu scoffed, thinking he was crazy. "You freaking kidding me?"

"No, I'm not," Thor answered by shaking his head.

"Brother, I know why Thanos found us, for he has come for the Tesseract," Loki warned.

"Loki, the Tesseract was destroyed on Asgard, there's no way Thanos will get his dirty hands over something that is destroyed," Thor grinned in approval. "There's no way will succeed."

Loki sighed and glances at his brother. He recalled the time when he took the Tesseract out from the vault before Asgard's destruction. Fearing how his brother will react when he reveals the truth, Loki might get a big punch in the face for being the very worst person in doing something that was foolish. Without hesitating, Loki lifts his right hand into the air and the Tesseract reveals itself.

"The Tesseract?" Heimdall gasped.

"Loki, is this one of your tricks?" Thor demanded.

"Thanos will want this," Loki sighed in displeasure. "If we don't give it to him, he'll kill us all."

"Brother, why?" Thor growled and started to raise his voice. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"I know," Loki said, walking away backwards as Thor walks forward to him in a set of rage. "But I have a plan. A good plan."

"And tell me, what plan is that? I insist" Thor growled.

"The plan is, you can stall Thanos by giving him a fake version of the Tesseract with my magic," Loki hastily explained in a worried panic.

Thor released Loki when he heard that. Agreeing to the idea, Thor believed it might be worth the effort to do something that might not work, but would have to try.

* * *

The firing was seized when Thor was able to contact the Sanctuary II and request safe passage to deliver the Tesseract to Thanos. Accompanied by a group of Chitauri guards, who were all armed and ready to attack the Thunderer if he plans to deceive their master, Thor feared that Thanos might discover that the Tesseract was fake, but had hope it would buy enough time for his friends and allies to flee to safety.

Once the doors open, Thor enters the bridge where a group of individuals were standing silently like statues, but staring at the Statesman which laid defensive in the void of space. Among the individuals Levia Vast, Ebony Maw, Kaldera, Geatar, Proxima Midnight, Cull Obsidian, Ilse Pterigil, Zorr, and Yabbat Ummon Turru. The last known individual was quite massive than Cull Obsidian, but Thor could tell that the person was none other than Thanos, the Mad Conquerer.

Ebony Maw was the first person to approach Thor and began to address him. "Welcome, Thor, son of Odin, the rightful King of Asgard." He bowed his head with a sinister smirk on his face. "You have had the privilege and respect of the Great Titan, who thanks you for delivering something that has returned to his rightful care. Universal scales tip toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile... for even in death, you have become a child of Thanos."

Thor felt deeply irriated by that, for he wasn't a child to a warlord bent on killing half of life in the universe. He saw through the eyes of a mad man who would kill half his people, even if they're on board his ship.

"I'm no child, not to a mad man like you," Thor glared at Maw.

"Are you now?" Thanos responded as he continues to stare in front of the void of space without even turning around to address him. "You choose to come here to deliver something of great importance to me. I know what it's like to lose something. To feel so desperately that you're right... yet to fail, nonetheless." At last, he turns around to face him and walks down the steps towards him as he continues to speak. "It's frightening. Turns the legs to jelly. I ask you, to what end? Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now, it's here. Or should I say..." He holds up his hand to reveal the Infinity Gauntlet, which already hosts the violet Power Stone. "...I AM."

Thor was shocked to see that the Mad Titan was in possession of the Power Stone, the first of the all Infinity Stones in the universe. The Thunderer's face was in complete shock and dismay, gasping in a whisper. "Impossible."

"Now, do you have the Tesseract?" Thanos asked.

"I do," Thor answered. "But you gotta swear by your word that no harm will come to my friends, family, or my people on that ship. Spear their lives and Tesseract is yours."

"Such noble words," Thanos pretended to sound remarked by Thor's bravery in trading the Tesseract, which of course was fake, and the real one was already safe in the possession of Loki. "But very soon... half your friends, family, and people will be gone once all the Infinity Stones are mine to possess while the other half will strive. Its the only way for the universe or I should say everyone of them in the Multiverse to be balanced."

"You will never possess that kind of power," Thor said, glaring at him.

"And for a fact that you lied to me," Thanos revealed, knowing that Thor had been fooling him. "Did you really think I was a fool to believe in your lies?"

"What, no, of course not, I have it with me," Thor responded, clearing his throat and at the moment he takes out the fake one.

"I see you do, but should I say, that what your giving me is a fake," Thanos grinned. "You told me seconds ago that I would not possess that kind of power. You would never give me the Tesseract. The real one is still on that ship. Well, it looks like I have to do this the hard way then."

Thor yelled in rage as he threw the fake Tesseract at Thanos' face, but no effect, but the Asgardian King wasn't willing to give up a fight and tried to fight him with the might of his superhuman strength that every Asgardian possesses. While trying to summon lightening from his hands, Thanos smacked him very hard with his right hand, throwing him across the bridge and then to a wall. Thor groaned as he tried to get up, but that was when Ebony Maw used his telekinesis to promptly bound him with metal debris that he fetched.

Thanos walks to him again. "It was foolish of you to come alone and now you will pay the price for your deceit."

"We don't have the Tesseract," Thor tried to continue lying. "It was destroyed on Asgard." Then he gives him a smirk. "And for another, I didn't come alone."

A huge roar was sounded, alarming Thanos and his children in the bridge. Looking to his right, Thanos was suddenly attacked by a very big green and angry person that was same size as him. It was the Hulk. The Hulk charges at Thanos, and uses the fists to punch and slam him very hard. Thanos was having trouble when the Hulk pummels Thanos, forcing him backwards and shoving him into the wall of the bridge.

Maw noticed that Cull Obsidian was going to interfere and help, but raised his hand to stop him from moving forward. "Let him have his fun."

"Die whelp!" A loud angry voice was heard.

Levia Vast, Ebony Maw, Kaldera, Geatar, Proxima Midnight, Cull Obsidian, Ilse Pterigil, Zorr, and Yabbat Ummon Turru turn towards a figure who just killed a number of Chitauri. It was Ronan the Accuser, wielding a war-hammer that was quite similar to his previous weapon that he once wielded while trying to conquer Xandar. Ronan charges directly towards the children of Thanos. Zorr and Cull Obsidian do the same and fight Ronan themselves while the others stayed to watch the fight, considering it to be entertaining for them.

Ronan dodged every strike from Zorr and Cull Obsidian, swinging his hammer to fight them off, but did get a few punches from the two members of the Black Order. Angered, Ronan swung his hammer to bash Cull, causing him to fall backwards on the floor. Zorr angrily lunges his sword at Ronan. Since Ronan was known to be among the strongest of the Kree, he possessed enough strength to easily overpower Zorr and struck him down when he landed his hammer very hard on his face, thus killing him. Ronan angrily turns towards Cull and the other children, who were greatly in shock of seeing their fallen brother killed.

"Such disappointment," Ebony sighed.

"THANOS!" Ronan roared as he then lunges towards the children.

Ebony Maw uses his telekinesis to throw him off the bridge, thus falling down below. Cull Obsidian was enraged of Zorr's death and jumps down the bridge with Geatar and Levia Vast to find him, knowing that he might've survived his fall.

The Hulk, however, was still in the midst of fighting Thanos. He then grabbed Thanos' neck with both his hands, attempting to strangle the Mad Titan to death. Despite the Hulk being the strongest Avenger, it turns out he was wrong, for the mighty Thanos was strong enough to use his hands to pry the Hulk's hands away. The Hulk couldn't believe what he saw and tense of fear started to cross his green face. Finally, Thanos managed to strike his knee into Hulk's face, which left him completely dazed before Thanos proceeded to punch and kick him. The Hulk couldn't fight back and groaned in pain once Thanos picks him up, lifting him over his head, and then smashes him down onto the ground.

The Hulk was beaten, leaving him barely able to move, and blood was all over his face. This was shock to Thor, for he always remembered how strong he was when he fight with him and the Avengers in New York and Sokovia. He always believed that his friend was the perfect weapon to beat Thanos, but it turns out he was wrong. Thanos was really strong, much stronger than the Hulk.

Thanos turns towards Thor with a grin. "That was a mistake." Then he turns to Ebony Maw and gives him an order. "Throw this green ogre out of my ship."

"As you wish," Ebony complied to his command and then uses his telekinesis to lift the Hulk and throws him into an air vent which sent him into space to die.

"NOOOOOOO!" Thor screamed in grief and rage of seeing his friend die. He stares at Thanos, wanting to break out and kill him for what he did to the Hulk. "Your going to die for that!"

Maw silenced Thor by wrapping his mouth with metal. "Ssshhhh!"

* * *

Back onboard the Statesman, Heimdall felt a terrible disturbance. He stares at the bridge and out of pure shock, he saw that the Hulk was out of the ship, struggling for air and almost dying. With little hope of survival left, Heimdall then made a final ditch effort to warn the rest of the Nine Realms of Thanos' attack.

"Allfathers… let the dark magic flow through me one last... time," Heimdall prayed, holding Hofund tight in his hand and managed to summon the Bifrost to send the Hulk safely towards his destination. Heimdall opens his eyes and murmurs to himself. "Go now."

* * *

Back inside the bridge of Sanctuary II, Thor continued to struggle and break free from Maw's power, but it was no use, for he was held very tight and Thanos was ready to kill him for deceiving the Mad Titan.

"Ronan was a fool to me once," Thanos began to explain what he remembered. "He always believed in power like I do. His obession for the Power Stone would've been the only weapon to kill me, but now we will never know. I remember Ronan was dead. The people of Hala claimed he was dead, but it seems that very soon, they will know the truth." He then kneels one knee to lower himself. "I admire your courage which is why you will die first and then half your people will die next once we find the Tesseract."

However, before Thanos was ready to make his attempt to kill Thor and then make preparations to board the Statesman, Milla and the crew managed to fix the engines. With the engines repaired, the Statesman managed to plot a course through the Universal Neural Teleportation Network to the Earth System, hoping they everyone board can get to Earth on time to warn the others of what is to come.

Thanos was greatly displeased by this. He looks at Thor with a sign of pure anger. Now ready to kill him, he presses the gauntlet to Thor's left temple, and with the Power Stone glowing brightly, Thor screams hoarsely.

"ALL RIGHT, STOP!" A loud voice yelled from behind.

Thanos and his children turn to see Loki entering the bridge.

"Loki, what a surprise," Thanos pretended to sound admired to see him.

"Thanos, I've come to bargain," Loki said.

"And what do you wish to bargain for?" Thanos asked.

"Spare my brother's life and the Tesseract is yours," Loki offered.

"Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian," Thanos said.

"Well, for one thing, I'm not Asgardian," Loki corrected and used his power to summon the Tesseract in the palm of his hand. "And for another, this is the real one."

Ebony Maw uses his telekinesis to lift the Tesseract out of Loki's hand and pulls it quickly to him. Then, he walks over to his master and kneels before him. "My humble personage… bows before your grandeur. No other being has ever had the might, nay the nobility, to wield not one, but two Infinity Stones. The universe lies within your grasp."

Thanos then removed his armor, seeing that he no longer needed it since he now has the Tesseract, which would make him much stronger than before. Gently taking the Tesseract from Maw, he then proceeds to crush the Tesseract very hard. He blows some of the fractals away, fingering a blue stone which was revealed to be the Space Stone, something that Thanos was wanting to gain in possession of for a very long time. Now that the Space Stone was his, he places it onto his gauntlet, giving him incredible new powers to transport himself across the galaxy without even needing a ship.

Having gained two of the Infinity Stones, Thanos knew that he was on the verge in completing his one and only mission, wiping half of life in the entire Multiverse, so every universe can be balanced. His traumatic past and obsession with completing what he perceived as his destiny, leading him to commit the most horrible atrocities all in the name of saving the Multiverse.

"There are two more Stones on Earth," Thanos said, staring at the two Infinity Stones in wonder and admiration. "Find them, my children, and bring them to me on Titan."

"Father, we will not fail you," Proxima swore, kneeling to him.

"If I might interject," Loki cheerfully responded, trying to see if he would join the mission. "If you're going to Earth, you might want a guide. I do have a bit of experience in that arena."

"If you consider failure experience," Thanos responded, unimpressed.

"I consider experience, experience," Loki corrected.

Then, he takes a moment and feigned on continuing his servitude to Thanos. "Almighty Thanos, I... Loki... Prince of Asgard... [looks significantly at Thor] Odinson... the rightful King of Jotunheim... God of Mischief... do hereby pledge to you, my undying fidelity." Thor squints and notices a dagger materialize in Loki's hand. Hoping that he had fooled Thanos, Loki braces himself, thrusts upward with lightning speed and attempts to stab Thanos in the throat, but the Titan easily predicted the move by using the Space Stone's power to freeze him before the point could strike home.

"Undying, you say?" Thanos grinned as he then twists the dagger out of Loki's hand with his right hand. "You should choose your words more carefully." He then takes hold of Loki's neck with the gauntlet and lifts him to eye level.

Loki struggles, kicking, as his throat is squeezed. He makes eye contact with Thor before he increases his force on Loki's neck. "You will... never be... a god."

"You must be willing to die for this," Thanos continued to grin in pleasure.

"If... you... want... to kill me," Loki struggled. "Then... do it."

"I will," Thanos answered. "But not yet." He then walks over to Thor while still holding Loki by the throat. "I know what its like to lose someone close to you, which is why, I would like for you to watch your brother die in the lonely cold depths of the void."

* * *

**One of biggest reasons that I brought Yondu into the story is because one idea popped up. In the comics, the Xandarians built the Xandarian Worldmind, a sentient supercomputer, whose data is entirely comprised of the experiences, histories, and personalities of deceased members of the Nova Corps as well as the general populace of Xandar. It is tasked with preserving itself (as it is one of the most knowledgable supercomputers in the universe) and acting as the custodian of the Nova Force. The actual brains of deceased Xandarians are stored within the computer and the Xandarians had been amassing these brains for 1 million years.**

**Since its different in the MCU, as the population consists of different sentient species and many pure-blooded Xandarians live on different worlds, such as Earth and New Xandar, I thought maybe the Xandarian Worldmind would be of great use to restore the Nova Corps that was destroyed by Thanos while hunting the Power Stone on Xandar. The civilians were safely evacuated, thanks to someone from the inside of the Black Order that managed to send a distress call. However, the Xandarian Worldmind would also be responsible for the resurrection of Yondu Udonta, who was placed into a clone body of his.**

**So many fans have been asking to bring Yondu back and his death was a tragedy. Another idea that would've been useful was that Yondu was mysteriously resurrected by the Grandmaster, cause in the comics, the Grandmaster uses his power to literally resurrect dead beings. i saw Yondu appear in a deleted funny scene in Thor: Ragnarok, and it just got me thinking that maybe Yondu could appear in a fan story of Thor: Ragnarok. After being resurrected by the Grandmaster, Yondu is a prisoner on Sakaar and is forced to be one of the Grandmaster's champions. He escapes with the Revengers and the Warbound (the name of the Sakaaran Rebellion) to Asgard and saves every civilian.**


End file.
